Sweet Old Fashioned Melodies
by LadyDaphne
Summary: When WWII broke out, several young men joined the military... including our heros Jack and Spot, among other characters. okay, basically imagine the newsies in ww2 era, and have fun reading. reviews are always a plus too!
1. That's Life

Disclaimer/Author Notes: Anything, or anyone, that you recognize obviously does not belong to me. I am not an expert on World War II, so please be kind when reviewing, if you have anything to say about historical accuracy. If you have any ideas for this story, I'll gladly listen and adjust it to please you, the readers, as I see fit. Some of you might view this as a Pearl Harbor/Newsies crossover, although I am not intentionally trying to incorporate other films into this fic. Okay, that being said, please enjoy! (And leave lots of reviews- they're very much appreciated!)

When the Second World War broke out, hundreds of thousands of men enlisted in the military forces. 22 year old, Jack Kelly was no exception, along with a few of his best friends from adolescence, and many more men he would soon call his brothers. Stationed out of New York City, the young men immediately went into training to become part of the United States Air Force. Of course, men were not the only ones to offer their services to their country. Women, 18 years and older served as army and navy nurses, volunteered endless amounts of time to machinery construction, and eventually become part of the army, in later years. Together, the men and women serving for the United States showed much enthusiasm in fulfilling their patriotic duties.

However, before Jack left for training, there were many problems he still had to resolve, such as telling his girl, Sarah, "goodbye." Heading towards her house, around 5 o'clock, that evening, Jack had dreaded seeing Sarah unlike any other time he visited her. He had run the conversation through his head several times that day, but he still knew that it would not go according to plan. She would still slam the door in his face, and he would have a shattered heart, by the end of the night. Luckily, his best friend, David, was also Sarah's older brother. He knew that David would be able to comfort her, until the boys left for training. Then again, there was always the possibility that she wouldn't be hurt by him, and would learn to cope with the distance between them. It was a 50/50 chance, that he was just moments away from knowing.

"What do you mean you're going away! I thought you were through with your traveling days, Jack. I thought we were going to finally settle down, and start a family together. What happened to those plans? Jack, how can you leave me like this? We were doing so well until now. What did I do wrong?" Sarah rambled on, not letting Jack explain himself. Now, more than ever, he hated himself for joining the air force. Next thing he knew, he was drying her eyes with a hanky, and stroking her hair to calm her nerves.

"Sweetie, I'm just going into training for a few months. That's all. We're not even in the war, so there probably won't be any need for me to be fighting anyway. And David's coming with me. We'll look out for each other."

"I don't believe you. Who is she?" Sarah yelled, pushing herself away from Jack's comforting embrace.

Jack blinked once, in astonishment that she would even think that he would replace her with another girl. "Sarah, what are you talking about? Who's who? There is no other girl."

"Sure there isn't, Jack. You're just running off with some floozy to Santa Fe. I know you haven't given up those dreams. I mean, why would you want to stay here with a boring girl like me, who has no sense of adventure? Right?"

"How can you even suggest that I would leave you for a 'floozy,' Sarah? You know that you're the only girl for me!" But he wasn't heard out. Sarah continued yelling and accusing Jack of cheating on her. It was too much for Jack to handle, so he picked up his hat, and left her house, saying he would write to her the first chance that he got. After everything had quieted down, Les, Sarah's younger brother entered the room. Without words, he knew how badly his sister was hurt. But he also knew that Jack wasn't lying to her. Caught in the middle, all he could do was give her a hug and say goodnight.

Before anyone is allowed to go into training for the military, they have to pass a physical examination, distributed by military doctors and nurses. There are certain immunization and physical requirements in order to enter the United States service. One particular morning, the heroes of our story met each other at a clinic, where it was just the beginning of their many adventures to come.

"Honestly nurse! I'm 5'6." I swear on it! You're just giving me a hard time!" said Anthony Higgins, standing as tall as he possibly could. The petite, blonde nurse with his chart giggled at his desperation. "You can't fail me because I barely meet the height requirements. You wouldn't. You're too sweet to do that, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't know about being 'too sweet.' What do I get out of this, if I pass you?" she smiled, demurely. After an awkward pause, she broke the silence again. "My name's Maggie Anderson, I like Italian food, and I'm free Friday night."

"Friday night? I have tickets to the racetracks… sort of a going away present to myself"

"Well, Mister…" she quickly looked at his chart" Anthony Higgins, I don't think it would hurt a girl's character if she was found there with you. Meet me here at 5, we'll grab a bite to eat, and bet the night away. How's that sound?" And without waiting for a response, she marked "pass" on his chart and was already examining the next pilot.

"Heya Race!" Jack called from behind him. "How's you're exam so far? Didja convince the nurse to add on a foot to your height?"

"Funny Jack, real funny," Racetrack replied to his best friend from childhood. "No, actually, she passed me no problem, and even asked me on a date." Jack couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's smugness.

"She asked you? That's classic, Race. Next thing you know, she'll be lining up with the other pilots, and you'll be the one giving her the examination." He paused for a brief moment, thinking. "Actually, that might not be a bad idea…"

Racetrack had heard all he wanted to, and walked away to get his eyes inspected.

As lucky as he felt, Racetrack Higgins was not the only one finding romance in the clinic today. While waiting in line to get their pulses taken, Charlie Branch and Michael Marcello became very bored. Spotting a crutch near by, Michael decided to play a small joke on the nurses.

"Here, use this. It'll get you through the line faster," Michael told his friend. Charlie stared at the crutch for a moment, wondering whether to believe his friend or not. He held it under his arm for a moment, and looked around the room, to make sure no one was watching him.

"I don't want to get in trouble, Mike"

"You're not going to get in trouble. I mean, come on, what's the worst that could happen? You drop the crutch and do a little tap dance and say 'it's a miracle!' and then you'll be passed, no problem." He grinned, assuring Charlie that nothing could go wrong, and that it was just a little fun. Charlie mustered up the courage to gimp to the front of the line; Michael following close by.

"Excuse me, miss, but is this going to take much longer? You see, my friend here sprained his ankle just yesterday and isn't able stand very well on his own," Michael said to the nurse taking the pulse of another pilot. Without looking up she indicated for them to wait a moment while she finished. When she finally looked up at them, her eyes locked on Charlie's, not noticing him fumbling with a crutch. With a shy smile, she told him that he could go next.

Sitting down in front of the tall brunette nurse, he made it a point to ditch the crutch right away. She smiled, whispering in his ear, "You didn't need a handicap to get my attention, Crutchy." She then proceeded to listen to his heart and take the time of his pulse. When the minute was over, she obviously passed him, and made him promise that he would come visit her again sometime.

As Michael began to sit down, he heard the nurse say "I'm sorry. You'll have to get in the back of the line, just like the rest of the men, sir." Scowling, he stood up and began to walk to the back of the line, when he heard another nurse calling to him.

"Sir, I can take you over here!" Michael looked up to see an adorable pair of emerald eyes shining at him. He sat down at her station, trying to remain calm, but failing miserably. "Sir, you're heart is beating rather quickly. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that my heart is trying to make some beautiful music for your beautiful ears." She giggled while instructing him to relax for her. He was her first patient ever, and already she had marvelous memories of her nursing career.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Iris Wilson was twirling her diamond bracelet, while Audrey Connolly was giving out vaccinations. Iris was not necessarily a lazy girl. She just was accustomed a leisurely life of old southern money. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined working for a living. Nursing was simply a hobby she took up as a way to pass the time, and meet new and interesting friends. Audrey, on the other hand, was a simple city girl. And at this time, she was also the girl doing the work for two nurses, instead of just one.

"Iris, could you at least put gloves on and look like you're doing something? You're going to get us in trouble," she said, while preparing the needle.

"I don't want to cover up my bracelet. It's too pretty to hide." Audrey rolled her eyes, and went on with her job. The next pilot in line handed his chart to Iris, who looked strangely at the "foreign object."

"That's quite some glitter you have on your wrist there," he commented with an irresistible smirk.

"My daddy got it for me before I left to come here," Iris replied, flirtatiously.

"Don't you mean your 'sugar daddy'" he chuckled, as he walked over to Audrey. Iris stood up with murder in her eyes as she grabbed a glove and vaccine. Knowing exactly what was about to occur, Audrey told the pilot to drop his shorts quickly, so that she could finish the vaccination before Iris could hurt someone.

"Umm… Brian Conlon? Is that your name?" Audrey asked, uncertain if she had the right chart in front of her.

"Yes ma'am. Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem it's just… You have bit of a spot, I mean a birthmark down there, and I don't know if you ever thought of getting it checked out. I'm just saying, for medical purposes, you understand."

"Well, with all do respect ma'am, I think that it's getting checked out right now." He smirked, looking back at her. Audrey couldn't believe her ears. She began sterilizing the area, glaring at the back of his head.

"Okay, Mister Spot Conlon, you better be ready for this," Audrey hissed, through gritted teeth. She aimed at her target, and then jammed it right into the spot.

"Bulls eye!" screamed Iris as Brian began to shake from pain. Audrey grinned, and after a moment asked, "It's not that painful, right?" He just replied with a nodding his head and gripping the table in front of him, until his knuckles turned white. Audrey removed the needle carefully, and whispered in his ear "Well, sweetie, that's life."


	2. The Best is Yet to Come

A/N: My apologies about Sarah- I didn't mean to make her sound like a psycho beast in the last chapter. I honestly have nothing against her character. And as for Spot… well he had it coming. Anyway, thanks for the feedback! I'm happy to read that you seem to be enjoying this, so I'll do my best to update often. Enough with the jabbering- enjoy the next chapter!

It had already been three weeks into training, and Jack was starting to lose all hope for him and Sarah. He had written her five letters, and there was still no response. Putting a stamp on his sixth letter, he sighed in discontent. "Dave, why doesn't your sister know how to reply to letters?" he asked, frowning at his friend on the bunk next to him.

"It's not that she doesn't know how to reply," David told Jack. "She just doesn't want to say anything that she'll regret later. Or at least that's what she's told me."

"She writes to you? And you haven't told me? Some friend you are." Jack teased.

"Jack, you know that my loyalties are to my family first, and then friends. Although, I do consider you a brother so I'll add in that she's been asking about you." He smiled, knowing that he had just made his best friends week with that tid-bit of information. He then went back to writing a letter to his family, while Jack got up to go mail his own letter.

David was only alone for a brief moment before one of his bunkmates came strolling in with a dazed grin on his face. David knew what was on the boy's mind, without even asking. Apparently someone had a date for that evening.

"Been to the nurses' station lately, Mike?" he asked, knowingly.

"Bridget Carrel would turn you to mush too, if you got to know her like how I did.

"Well, 'Mush,' care to elaborate on how you got to know her?" came another voice from behind Michael. It was his best friend from home, Christopher Thompson. Christopher was commonly known to his friends as "Kid Blink" on account of his eyes. When Christopher was a child, his father was less than supportive of his family, and had a harsh temper. One day, he took it out on his son's face. Since then, Christopher has worn an eye-patch over his left eye to hide the scar. How he managed to get into the air-force with this handicap still remains a mystery (a/n- even to me as the author, haha.)

"Did you just call me 'Mush'?" Mike asked, slightly confused. Kid Blink merely nodded, and waited for an answer to his question. The boys all sat down on their bunks, to make themselves more comfortable for an intriguing story. "Alright then," the newly named Mush said, going along with the conversation. "We met when we had to get our physicals done. Remember that day? If you don't, ask Spot. I'm sure he remembers it well."

"Don't call me Spot!" sneered a voice from the doorway.

"Alright, Spotty, that's enough. Sit down, you're going to miss the story," David joked.

"I've heard enough out of you, Mouth," Spot lashed back to his roommate. "You, continue the story. I want to hear this," he ordered Mush. He jumped onto the bed next to Kid Blink, listening intently.  
"Like I said, we met at my physical. She was taking my pulse, and I couldn't get my heart rate to go down, because she made me so nervous. So I told her that the only reason my heart was beating to quickly was because it wanted to make music for her. She ate it all up! Since then, I've seen her three times. The first time was just when I was walking past the nurses' station, and we stopped and made some small talk. The second time was when Race dragged me over there so that he could see his girl. And finally, today, the third time, I went there on my own, and now I have a date for tonight!" The boys all applauded Mush for his "heroic" story, until Spot cut them off.

"Hey! Wait a second! Hold the phone!" Spot yelled. The boys looked at him, puzzled. "You can't go out tonight, Mush."

"I can't? Why not? I thought that we had weekends off. And it is a Saturday…"

"It's not that. We do have weekends off, my friend. And you're correct in saying that today is a Saturday. The thing is… you can't go out without letting your buddies in on some of the fun. Right, fellas?" David and Kid Blink put in their agreeing remarks, leaving Mush in a tight position.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Mush asked, feeling slightly nervous. "Oh no! No way! I am not sharing her! She is mine, I found her on my own. There will be none of that ménage trois stuff!"

"Calm down! What do you take us for? And who in their right mind would want to do something like that with you? We just wanted you to get us some dates too. You know, hook us up with some of her friends," Spot explained. The other four occupants of the room- Racetrack, Jack, Crutchy, and Skittery- entered, and joined the group.

"Heya gang. What going on?" Race greeted his friends.

"Race, go get that girl of yours, we're all going out tonight! Mush here is going to find the rest of us some nice dolls!" Spot happily yelled.

"Now, Brian, I never agreed to that, "Mush stammered nervously.

"Mush, I just said that we're all going out. Are you suggesting that I'm a liar, or something?" And without a thought, Mush rushed out of the room in the direction of the nurses' station, for his fourth visit to his sweetheart.

To say that Bridget Carrel was nervous for her date would be an understatement. If it were just her and Michael, she would have been fine. Now she had to worry about her seven friends getting along with their blind dates. Still, she was glad that she didn't have to go through the first date jitters alone. Sitting at her vanity table, she applied a light amount of rouge to her cheeks, and finishedpenciling in her eye-brows to make them darker. Being blessed with auburn locks also came with the curse of having thin light eyebrows. Giving herself one final glance over in the mirror, she applied her lipstick, and pinned back her curls.

Her roommates were just finishing their own makeovers, when she heard a knock at their door, indicating that their dates had arrived. There was a large burst of nervous giggling, and whispers among the girls as they grabbed their purses and gathered around the door.

"So what exactly is the courteous way to approach our dates? Do we just give them a glance over and grab the one we want, or do we pick them like we're picking teams?" Maggie asked, half joking and half serious.

"Maggie, you're already going with Anthony. Why are you asking something like that?" replied Grace, the sternest nurse out of the girls that had surprisingly agreed to their group date. Bridget slightly felt pity to the man that got stuck with courting her for the evening.

"I honestly don't know…" Bridget fidgeted with her handbag. "Maybe it would be best if you all just chose your own date, and that no one goes to the same guy. Please don't fight over any of them. I want this to go well for me, too, you know." And with that she opened the door to be greeted by eight eager lieutenants, dressed sharply in their formal military uniforms.

"Hello, Bridget," greeted Mush, with a sappy grin on his face. She shyly returned the greeting with a wave. "I'd like all of you to meet my friends. This is Chris, and Jack, and David, and Anthony, and Danny, and Charlie, and Brian." The boys all gave a friendly wave to the girls, who walked towards them.

"My name is Iris Wilson, I am 20 years old, and I look forward to your company for this evening, Daniel," Iris told her chosen date, locking her hazel eyes with his brown ones. Skittery smiled, and offered her his arm. "Please, call me Skittery. It's what all my friends do." She giggled, and linked elbows with him.

Kid Blink approached the shy girl in the back of the room. She wore thick framed glasses, and had straight mousey blonde hair that hung just past her shoulders, hiding her eyes, as she looked nervously at the ground. "Miss?" he gently spoke to her, earning her attention. "Would you mind accompanying me tonight? I know I might look intimidating, because of obvious reasons, but I promise, I'm one of the nicest guys around." She nodded to him, and gave a small smile, indicating that she would like to be his date for that evening.

Helen McHugh set her eyes on the tall boy with chestnut brown hair. He seemed slightly depressed, and she knew that her outgoing personality would be able to break him from his bad mood. "You're with me. You need some fun, and as a nurse, I feel that it is my duty to make sure that you have the time of your life, tonight, whether your like it or not." His face broke into a smile as he chuckled. "I don't think that a girl has been that forward with me since… ever. I'm Jack. It's nice to meet you."

Since Charlie and Anthony met their dates already, and Grace had latched herself onto David, there was just one more couple that hadn't been introduced. Audrey looked around at all the couples, trying to figure out who her date was going to be. Brian detected the certain brunette, with a sinking heart. 'Anyone but her,' he thought to himself as she walked towards him with a smirk on her face.

"So, Spot Conlon, we meet again."

"Why do you insist on calling me 'Spot'?"

"I think it's cute; it suites you." There was an awkward pause, as both of them didn't know what to say. "So are we going to be adults about this, and make the most out of tonight, because if not, I have some reading that I could catch up on, inside," Audrey said, straight forwardly.

"No. Let's put our first impressions behind us, and have a good time tonight. I'll get even with you tomorrow." They joined their friends, and started their evening painting the town.


	3. Stepping Out With My Baby

A/N: Sorry about the delay. My grandfather passed away last week, and it was quite crazy at home for a while. On a happier note, I just found out that my best friend and her husband are expecting their first baby. This was probably the inspiration that I needed to keep this up. Expect more chapters within the week and please keep reviewing, I love to hear your input! I hope you enjoy chapter three!

The Onyx was everything that it sounded to be. Exquisite food, dark setting, and a sleek jazz band adding to the romantic atmosphere of rounds tables and delicate candles, sorted around the dance floor. Racetrack slipped the Maitre'd a sawbuck, and the group was granted admittance immediately. Jack raised a questioning brow at his friend, but only received a cheeky grin for an answer.

Following their host, the group was seated at two tables next to each other. Racetrack, Spot, Skittery and their dates were seated at a small table close to the band, while the others were set up at a larger table, next to the dance floor. When a waiter dressed in a slick tuxedo approached the tables to take a cocktail order, the group began to stir with excitement. They settled on ordering a few pitchers of beer. There was no reason to be fancy about the way of getting drunk, if they knew they would still be drunk in the end.

When the mug was placed in front of Maggie, she did not waste a second before chugging the whole thing. Race laughed at his girl and gave her a kiss on the cheek saying, "Doll, am I honestly that bad of a boyfriend that you have to make yourself zonked before you can kiss me?"

"No, Race. It's nothing like that at all. I've never had a drink before."

"You've never had alcohol before? Gosh, you're what, nineteen-years-old and this is your first time? Congratulations. I wouldn't be able to go that long with out it," he praised her, lifting his own mug to his lips and drinking the dull liquor.

"Oh, I'm not nineteen, yet," she responded, taking the drink from his hands and having a sip of his. "I turn seventeen next month." Racetrack's jaw dropped in astonishment. He had been dating a girl five years younger than him, and never even thought that age difference might have been a problem for them, until now, of course. She smiled sweetly, and grabbed his hand, dragging him out onto the dance floor.

"Hey, I thought that you had to be at least eighteen to serve in the military," Skittery pondered aloud.

Iris looked up from her drink and replied, "You do. She's just one of the sneaky ones that can lie about her age. I wish I could do that, except I would want to be much younger." Audrey laughed at her friend's suggestion of looking younger. After all, the girls were barely 20-years-old, and still in their prime. "Hey, is this supposed to taste so dull? How come it doesn't have a sweet taste to it?" Iris questioned, swirling the brew around, as if it were a first-rate wine.

"Iris, its beer not champagne, or anything that you're used to," her friend quietly responded, before the boys could tease her.

"You're saying that you've never had beer? Jeez, looks like I have the normal date tonight. Doesn't lie about her age, drinks what the average person does. Good job Audrey!" Spot commended his date, who shot him the death glare as a response.

Seeing that things were about to get ugly, Skittery nervously asked "Hey, Iris, do you wanna go out on the floor and dance before it gets too crowded?" with a deep blush.

"Why I'd love to," replied the southern belle, taking his hand and leading him to the floor, leaving a knowing smirk at their table.

"Spot, you really shouldn't judge those girls based on first impressions. Shouldn't you get to know them before you start saying condescending remarks about them?"

"Oh, and as if you should be one to talk about judging and first impressions."

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget it. I thought we agreed to have a good time tonight."

"That's right, we did." Audrey sighed, and kept her eyes on the dance floor, wishing that her date would ask her for a dance, like a normal guy would. Spot caught onto this immediately, and smirked with a cruel idea.

"Audrey, do you want to dance?"

"Spot, I would love to…"

"Good, I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, raising from his seat and heading to the bar with his mug. Audrey felt very uncomfortable sitting at the table by herself. Within a few minutes, Racetrack was back at the table, without Maggie. When Audrey asked where she was, Race pointed in the direction of the dance floor, where Audrey saw Maggie dancing with another man, and two behind him, waiting for their turn.

"Race, I'm so sorry. It's just her first time out like this. She probably doesn't know how to handle herself in that situation."

"I think she can handle herself just fine. Three guys should be enough for her to juggle. I'll be at the bar incase she suddenly notices that her date disappeared, though I doubt that that will ever happen. See ya, kid," Race said as he made his way over to join Spot, and drown out his sadness. Seeing that Spot wouldn't be coming back to her anytime soon, Audrey left the table, too, and headed for the bathroom to have a good cry in private.

Meanwhile, at the other, less dramatic table, the evening was headed in a positive direction. Jack had actually warmed up to Helen by the time they entered the club, and Bridget and Mush shyly held hands and cuddled close in their chairs. Kid Blink and David told the table amusing stories from their childhood that usually resulted in a laugh at the expense of Crutchy or Mush.

After a round of drinks, the group was eager to get out on the dance floor and do some fancy stepping. When the band started playing "The Way You Look Tonight," Elizabeth squealed in delight, giving Crutchy a kiss on the cheek, saying how much she loved that song. Crutchy replied with a satisfied grin, "Well I guess that I love this song too, now," as he took her hand and went off to dance cheek to cheek. David and Grace followed suit, along with Bridget and Mush. Noticing that their pitcher was empty, Kid Blink offered to go to the bar and ask for a refill. Helen excused herself to the ladies room, and Jack went off to see what was bothering Racetrack and Spot. This left Claire alone, feeling very vulnerable to the GI's that were sending her stares from a few tables over.

Setting her eyes to the white table cloth, she held her breath, praying that the men staring at her would not come to her table. However, her prayers were not heard. Two handsome men came to the table and sat down on either side of her. She was trapped. The first took his hand and brushed her cheek, trying to get her attention with his charming tactics. She lifted her eyes to ask him to leave, before Kid Blink got back to the table, but was stopped when the other took her hand asked her to dance.

"I'm sorry. I don't think that that's possible. I'm waiting for someone else."

"Listen doll, I don't know who you're waiting for, but you is all alone, and I'm pretty sure he won't be coming back anytime soon. So give it chance," he said, taking her hand more forcefully.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't want to."

"Come on, sweetheart, give him try. He's not going to bite you. Well, not unless you ask him to that is," the man on her left said.

"Please, could you just leave me alone?" Claire begged, not liking the tone of their voices.

"But we like you. We don't want you to be alone. What's your name, sweetface?" the man on her right asked, as the other began to move his arm around her waist. Claire squirmed in her seat, trying to escape their grasps, until they both let go of her. Looking up, she saw Blink with the pitcher in his hands and anger on his face.

"I believe the lady asked you to leave," he started.

"Look, pal, we were just…" one of the guys began to say, but he was cut off when Blink grabbed him by the collar, and hissed through his teeth "I am not your 'pal.'"

The men straightened their jackets and left the table, glaring back at the couple. Blink put the pitcher down, and sat next to Claire, comforting her, and promising that he wouldn't leave her alone for the rest of the night.

At the bar, Jack sat with Race and Spot, serving as their personal psychiatrist. Race had been shot down by his girlfriend of three weeks, and Spot couldn't understand his date at all. When Jack had heard enough, he left to go dance with Helen, and leave the two to try to forget their misery. On the dance floor, Helen asked Jack what was wrong with the boys.

"Oh, you know. Race is upset that Maggie is having a goodtime without him, and Spot is being a heel as usual," he replied while pulling her closer to him, for sake of the crowded space.

"Well, Maggie is being a bit of a bimbo tonight with all of those boys. But she really does have a heart of gold. I promise. I don't understand why she's acting like this. She was so excited to be going out with Racetrack tonight."

"Maybe it's because he had a nice sized winning at the track the other night, and she knew he would pay to take her to a nice place," Jack retorted, unintentionally suggesting that she was a gold-digger.

"So, is Spot really a heel?" Helen inquired, trying to sway the conversation away from Maggie's faults.

"Eh, I'm not sure yet. He seems like a decent guy deep down, but his skills with women need to be toned down, in my opinion."

"Yeah, I'll definitely agree to that. When I was in the powder room, I found Audrey in their crying, because Spot asked her to dance, but then left her to go to the bar, right after she said she wanted to."

"That's Spot for ya. Where is she? Is she still in there?" he asked, looking around the room for Audrey, but failing because of the heavy crowd. Helen nodded, with a sad smile. She was sympathetic towards her friend, but didn't want any problems to ruin her evening. Jack told her that he was going to go talk to Spot, and that she should convince Audrey to go back to the table. They pushed their way back towards the tables, and went their separate ways.

By the time Jack had convinced Spot to go back to the table and talk to Audrey, Spot was buzzing, and it showed. Never the less, Spot took his friend's advice and made his way over to his beautiful brunette date, and took a seat next to her. When he sat down, Audrey looked at him with tears in her eyes. This did not pass Spot's glazed eyes. He reached for a napkin and lightly dabbed her cheeks- the most endearing gesture he had done all night. Audrey smiled at his kind motion and gave a heavy sigh of contemplation.

"I know this isn't what you wanted tonight to be like," Spot began, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I just don't know how to handle you. I'm not very good at talking to girls, and I know that my reputation probably isn't going to help you get to know me. But I do want you to know one thing. You look amazing tonight."

"Spot, what are you rambling about?" Audrey asked, not completely believing his words.

"No, Audrey. Listen. Listen to me real closely," he said, with a drunken drawal, taking her hands in his and leaning forward, staring straight at her. "I think that you are pretty, and I really want to dance with you. So let's go dance, right now. I owe you one dance. I promise that I won't leave half way though it. I promise, Audrey," he stated, standing up, but then immediately sitting back down, from seeing the room spin.

"Spot, are you okay? Maybe we should go home. We can dance some other time. I really don't mind." Spot began to argue, but was quieted when Audrey put a finger to his lips, and said "I'll be right back. I just need to tell Bridget that we're leaving." She returned in a few seconds, and helped Spot up, and out onto the street where he emptied his stomach in a garbage can, and continued on their way back to the base.


	4. Make Someone Happy

A/N: Thanks for all of your sympathy guys! Everything's fine and dandy at home now, so I've been writing A LOT. Anyway, yeah, I agree… Maggie and Spot were jerks in the last chapter. I hope that they make amends in the next chapter. Wait, what am I saying? I wrote this chapter, so I should know what happens. Haha. Enjoy, everyone! And keep reviewing!

Elizabeth Patel opened her eyes on the bright Sunday morning, staring at the bed a few feet away from her, expecting to see her dear friend, Audrey. However, when she noticed someone else instead, she let out her most horrified scream, waking the rest of her flat-mates. Jumping out of her bed and grabbing the first heavy item she could find- her bible on her nightstand- she began beating the intruder ruthlessly. The rest of the girls gathered around the bed and tried to untangle the invader from the mass of blankets and sheets. From underneath the covers, they could hear that the man was just as scared as they were, from the hollering that he let out. Just then, Audrey emerged from the bathroom, yelling "What on earth is going on here!" over the commotion. Breaking through her friends, she grabbed the bible from Elizabeth. "What are you guys doing?" (A/N: Funny story… this actually happened to me and my college roommate last year. I thought she was in bed and went to go wake her up for class, but it was really her boyfriend that I hadn't met yet.)

"There's a man in your bed!" Elizabeth cried, with panic in her voice.

"Elizabeth! I assure that there is no man in my bed. It's just Spot," Audrey explained, calming her roommate and insulting the pilot simultaneously.

"And what exactly is Mr. Conlon doing in your bed, Audrey?" Grace questioned with a condescending tone.

"As a matter of fact, he was sick with alcohol poisoning last night, and I felt that it was my duty as a nurse to take care of him. Seeing as I didn't know which building he lived in, I took him home with me, and let him have my bed, while I slept on the couch in the living area. Does that measure up to your expectations, Miss Conrad?" Audrey answered, smugly.

Peering out from underneath the covers, a very frightened Spot Conlon, looked up at the spectators around him. "Audrey, can we talk privately for a moment?" he quietly asked, from underneith her comforter, trying not to make more of a scene than there already was. The girls went their ways, some heading for the washroom, others making their beds, but keeping secretive ears open for the couple's discussion. Audrey sat on the bed next to him as he sat up, looking down to make sure he was clothed. "We didn't…?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head."You don't have to worry about that. You basically passed out the second your head hit the pillow."

"Good. Well, not good as in I wouldn't want to, it's just, well you know what I mean."

"In my four weeks of knowing you, I have never seen you so flustered, Spot. What's going on?"

With a groan, Spot attempted to manage his thoughts. His pounding headache was not helping him though. He put his head in his hands, trying to blank out the strong light that irritated his eyes so profoundly. Audrey put a hand on his back, for support and comfort. She had that effect on him. One moment he could be screaming bloody murder, and just with her touch, he would be in a state of sheer tranquility. He couldn't understand her at all.

"Audrey, I'm… I'm so sorry about last night. I was drunk, and a total ass and I think you would have been better off staying home than going out with me. I'm really sorry that I ruined your night."

"Spot, you didn't ruin my night."

"Yes, I did. I got your hopes all high, and then let you down."

"Relax. It's fine. I really didn't mind taking you home early."

"Yeah, but you should."

"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't feel, Spot" she retorted.

"Well don't interrupt me when I'm apologizing, woman."

"Don't call me woman!"

Seeing thata shouting match was not going to get him anywhere near where he wanted to be,he tried another tactic. "Audrey, I can't stand it when we argue. We got off on the wrong foot. Can we just pretend that this all never happened, and start over?"

"Alright, let's start over," she said with a smile. "Hi, I'm Audrey Fiona Connolly. I'm 20 years-old, and originally from Queens. I'm a certified field nurse for the army and navy, and in my spare time I like teasing cocky pilots about freckles and birthmarks on their bodies."

"That was pretty good, kid." he replied with a smirk."Hello, Audrey Fiona Connolly. My name is Brian Andrew Conlon, but you can call me Spot. I'm 21 years-old, from Brooklyn- which is far more superior to Queens, or any of the boroughs as far as I'm concerned. I'm training to be a big bad war hero, and I have to say that I am in love with this feather-soft bed right now, and I don't think that I ever want to leave it," he said with a grin, putting his hand out for her to shake. Laughing, she took his hand, and shook to the beginning of a very good friendship.

As Maggie finished pinning her blonde curls back, she reflected on the past evening. She hadn't meant for Racetrack to get upset. She just wanted to have a good time, even if it meant sharing a few dances with other gentlemen in the club. Looking over at her best friend, Helen, through the mirror, she couldn't help but be jealous. Helen was a year older than her, and far more mature than she could ever imagine being. Helen had the balance of youth and responsibility that Maggie was still searching for.

"Helen, how was your date with Jack last night?" she started the friendly conversation.

"Fine, I guess. It wasn't really a date. He has a girl back home he said, so I guess I was just a friend to dance with, for him. How was yours with Race? Did you work things out by the end of the night?"

"No, not really," she replied in disappointment.

"What exactly happened with you two anyway? I thought you were crazy about him. Did he do something to upset you, last night?"

"No, he didn't do anything."

"Than why did you dance with those other guys."

"Well, they asked if they could cut in. So I just let them. It's not my fault if they liked me."

"Yeah, but Maggie, you could have turned them down."

"But I didn't want to hurt their feelings. Besides I wanted to have fun, too."

"Maggie. Are you even listening to yourself? By doing that you hurt Race. I mean, maybe it didn't shatter his heart, but it did put a bit of a damper on the evening for him."

"I know, Helen. I know. But what can I do about it now? Saying sorry seems so petty. I don't know how to make it up to him."

"Why don't you bake him something?"

"Truthfully, would you trust me by a stove?"

"Point taken. Why don't you treat him to breakfast this morning? That way you can talk things over, too."

"That's a great idea! Helen, do you want to come with us?"

"Margaret Louise Anderson. No. I am not going with you to feed you ideas on how to apologize. Do it yourself, or find someone else. I'm not going with you."

"Fine, be mean to me, Helen. I understand." Maggie jokingly pouted, leaving the washroom to put her comb away, and find an ally to go with her to breakfast. Running into Elizabeth, she plastered a smile on her face, and began to persuade her friend to some coffee and pancakes at the diner down the street.

Making their way into the Cheyenne Diner, Maggie, Elizabeth, Racetrack and Crutchy found the diner deserted of customers, and sat down at a booth in the corner. The couples ordered coffee and orange juice to start off, and looked at the menus for what the wanted to eat. Maggie kept glancing nervously over the top of hers, across the table at Racetrack. They had spoken very few words on their way to the diner. She knew that he was still fuming from last night, but had no idea how to calm him.

Elizabeth noticed the tension between the two, and suggested that Crutchy go to the counter with her to help her pick out a muffin. Crutchy, not completely aware of the situation, agreed anyway and followed the tall brunette to the front of the restaurant. Racetrack didn't look up from his menu as the couple left them alone. He kept his focus away from his girlfriend by looking over the variety of breakfast foods, while Maggie nervously fiddled with her hands in her lap. After a few moments of awkward silence, she finally gathered the courage to speak up.

"Race?"

"Yeah, doll," he answered, still avoiding her eyes.

"About last night, I'm real sorry."

"Don't be. I can understand. You're a pretty girl. Guys love pretty girls."

"Race, just listen." And with that he raised his stare to match hers. "I'm young, and I'm not very mature, or smart for that matter. I know that. I'm told all the time by the other girls. I just didn't know what to do in the situation. And now I know that I should have staid with you. Race, honestly. I do want to be with you. I.."

"You're wrong, you know." She stopped in her ramblings and looked him in the eyes, with tears running down her cheeks. He reached for the napkin holder and handed her one to dry her eyes with. "You're very smart. You're judgment needs tweaking, but you are a very bright girl. Why else would I want to be with you?"

"Race, you don't mean that. You can't possibly want to be with me after the way I treated you."

"Oh yes, I most certainly do want to be with you. But I want to be only with you. I don't want any other Tom's or Harry's hanging around with us. Is that a deal?"

"But, Race, what am I supposed to do if they start something with me. I mean, it's not like I just asked them to dance."

"You tell them that they'll have to take it up with your boyfriend if they want to be seeing you. That's what you say if one of those bastards starts ogling with you. No hesitations. Just be straight forward with them. That's the only way they'll understand that 'no' means no. And if I catch one of them being disrespectful to you, they're dead." As Racetrack kept promising his threats, Maggie's smile kept growing wider and wider, until she couldn't take it anymore and planted a kiss full on his lips. After a few seconds, Racetrack broke the kiss with a smile, saying, "That's right doll. And after I'm done pulverizing the lousy bum, we'll do just that," and planting another kiss on her forehead.

Elizabeth and Crutchy walked back to the table, seeing couple's stress had subsided. Smiling, Elizabeth sat next to Maggie once more, and gave her a hug, to let her know how proud she was of her friend, for facing her problem. After looking at the menu for a few minutes more, the group was ready to order. The waitress took out her pen and pad, and looked expectantly at the couples.

"Yes, I would like a bagel with fruit spread and cream cheese, please," Elizabeth stated.

"Wait, if you wanted a bagel, than why did we go to the counter before?" Crutchy asked, completely stumped.

Elizabeth giggled at his perplexity, and simply caressed his hands across the table. She replied, "Sweetie, I just wanted some alone time with you. That's all," giving a not-so-discreet wink at Maggie.


	5. Can't Take That Away From Me

A/N: I hate this chapter so much. Obviously that is why it is so short, and so lame. I almost gave up on it, and started writing a new story, but then I realized that that wouldn't be fair to the nurses in this fiction. Haha. A better chapter will be up next time, and soon. I promise.

By the end of July, the heroes of our story had completed their 8 weeks of military training, in addition to the experience that they had acquired throughout the years previous to enrolling. They had received their assignments for the next year and were ready to ship out. Jack and the rest of his friends, among hundreds of sailors and aviators, found themselves on a train, heading west where they would take a ship into the Pacific, and be stationed at Pearl Harbor (A/N Oh gosh, this is so cliché! Ah!) Of course the hardest part about being stationed in a tropical paradise was saying goodbye to the family and friends that you grew up with. Fortunately, Jack Kelly grew up with a handful of the young men that he was now serving with. The phrase "taking a bullet for your friend," now came to a new meaning.

"So how'd you say goodbye to your doll, Skits? Hit her over the head, and tell her to flake off? Wouldn't be surprised with the way you've been acting lately." Race joked with his friend, as they sat crammed in a train car among other pilots.

"Actually, no, I did not hit her over the head, or even complain to her, for your information," Skittery replied, swatting a hand at Race, that barely missed the sleeping Spot, by inches. "We sat down, and packed my things together. It was the cutest thing. Iris wanted me to pack some of her handkerchiefs, just in case I started to miss her. She's such a princess. I miss her already," he reminisced, pulling out a pink hanky for breast pocket of his jacket, and holding it to his cheek. He and Iris had grown "quite fond" of one another, as the southern belle would say. He was completely smitten by her superficial ways, which was very strange, taking into consideration his pessimistic views. She, on the other hand, was not entirely sure if she was truly falling for the Yankee, or if he was just someone that she was just wasting time with. Either way, they enjoyed each others' company.

"Well who knew that he had it in himself to be somewhat nice to a lady?" Kid Blink joined in on the fun, looking away from the window he sat next to. It was common knowledge to the group of boys, that if a girl showed interest in Skittery, he wouldn't give her the time of day. You could say that he played hard to get, except 99 of the time, he wasn't playing.

Running a hand through his chestnut hair, Skittery knew that there was no way that he was going to escape the teasing on this trip, so in spite of himself, he let out a soft chuckle, and continued to treasure Iris's precious present to him.

Unknown to the lieutenants, they wouldn't miss their lady friends for long. The navy nurses had already been flown out to accommodate themselves at Pearl Harbor. Waiting for their men to arrive by ship, Bridget, Elizabeth, and Claire kept themselves entertained in the hospital ward with long conversations of their beaus' best features, and discussing the possible futures that they might have if their relationships lasted throughout the war.

"Mush is just such a gentleman. He's been so good to me for the past month. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met him," Bridget continued droning on about her sweetheart to two very giggly nurses, absorbed in their friend's romantic relationship.

"Probably go with some guy that was actually confident in the physical department," Elizabeth added on, cheekily.

"You should be one to talk, Elizabeth. I haven't seen you and Crutchy showing much affection towards one another. And you've known each other just as long as Mush and I have. I know that for a fact. We met the same day at the medical examinations!"

"That has nothing to do with it, and you know that. Honestly Bridget, it's not always the affection in public that measures the amount of love there is in a relationship. Crutchy is a very personal and gentle man, and I wouldn't change him for the world!"

Claire looked from one girl to the other, very confused as to why there was such high energy when it came to comparing their boyfriends. It seemed that the two girls were always in competition with one another as to who had the more loving relationship. Claire was happy to just talk to Kid Blink. There was no need for romantic ties right now. She knew that her mind should be focused strictly on her work, especially if America got pulled into the war, which could happen any day now, as far as she was concerned. Looking out the window, in the direction of the beach, she couldn't help but wonder when his ship would be arriving.

"Elizabeth, this is silly. Let's not argue over this. I'm sorry for making a fuss over something that isn't even my business."

"And I'm sorry for suggesting that Mush wasn't good enough for you. Are we still best friends?"

"I wouldn't dream of it any other way." And just like that Bridget and Elizabeth were back to chatting about the boys on their mind. Their friendship seriously boggled Claire's mind. One moment they were fighting over the tiniest thing, and the next they were hugging and planning each others weddings.

Just then, Nurse Grace Conrad came marching through the door with a stern expression glued to her face. Immediately the girls knew the speech they would be given about their duties to their country, and how sitting around was not in their job descriptions. Claire shied away nervously to a medical stand to re-re-organize the supplies, while Bridget and Elizabeth sent each other knowing glances. Grace had to be the strictest and spiteful nurse stationed on Oahu.

"Ladies, do you really think that it is your duty to our country to be lounging about in the afternoon…

"While our men are out there working to serve for our greater good," Bridget and Elizabeth chimed in, already knowing what the nurse was about to say.

"That isn't funny. You should be working."

"Grace, what exactly is there to do? The clinic is spotless, there are no men with any injuries anywhere in this hospital and the inventory has been checked numerous times. There can't possibly be anything more that needs to be done today," Bridget calmly replied. Then, as if on cue Helen came running in, with Audrey, Maggie, and Iris right behind her.

"They're here! Their ship just docked!"

"Good, now get back to your stations. You're on duty now," Grace sternly ordered. All of the girls looked at her unbelievingly. Shaking their heads they went back to "work," under the watchful eye of the head nurse.

"Grace, I don't believe you. I know that you want to go meet David at the dock, just like the rest of us want to meet our boys. You're just wasting our time by doing this!" Bridget exclaimed.

"I'm not taking time away from you. I'm just having you use it productively."

"Well when Mush comes to see me here, you can't take that away from me!"


	6. Stardust

A/N: I know, I know. I hate me for not updating too. School is like that though. Okay, here it is. The long awaited reunion. Enjoy the sappy goodness… I certainly do haha!

Finally, after the girls had put in their hours, cleaning the hospital, and taking care of sunburned sailors, they all rushed back to their new home to primp for the boys. When 8 o'clock rolled around, there was a knock at their door. Wondering which of their pilots it would be all of the girls stared anxiously at the door until Audrey, the only "brave" one, opened it.

"Racetrack Higgins, are you lost? This is the girl's barracks, and you know how our head nurse Grace Conrad feels about male visitors," Audrey joked. However before she could receive an answer, Maggie was running to the door in a happy fit of giggles.

"Heya, doll," Racetrack happily greeted her, lifting her into a bear tight hug. "Seems like someone missed me."

"Who are you trying to kid, Race?" Audrey teased, before giving the couple some well deserved privacy. Racetrack gave Maggie a quick peck on the cheek before putting her down, taking her hand. Strolling away from her home, Maggie couldn't help but wonder where exactly she was being led too. As if reading her mind, Racetrack gave her an assuring smile, and headed towards the beach.

"Hey, Tony, I have something to ask you." She shyly mentioned.

"Sure, what is it? Is it something serious?" he replied, not missing that she used his actual name, instead of his nickname.

"Kind of. I was wondering… well, does it bother you that I'm so young?" Maggie fidgeted for a while, before she realized that Racetrack remained silent. Taking this as a bad sign, she nodded her head and began to walk back home.

"Did I do something to make you think that?"

"Well, no, I just thought…"

"You just thought that I was insecure about our age difference, because I was learning to read when you weren't even a twinkle in your father's eye. It shouldn't matter, Maggie. It doesn't to me. Does it matter to you?"

"Of course not! I guess it was just my thoughts running away from me again. I'm sorry, Race," Maggie answered. After a moment of silence, Maggie looked up at the sky, and was rewarded with a shooting star. She knew it was a sign. Racetrack didn't miss it either, and held her in his arms, as if there weren't a care in the world.

Meanwhile, a group of rowdy pilots and giggling nurses made their way in to town to spend the night as true tourists. Eventually they broke apart, agreeing to meet at a certain corner by a certain time, and went off to the different places of interest. Mush and Bridget found themselves outside of the movie house. Looking up to see the attractions, Bridget's smile widened, reading that _The Philadelphia Story_ was playing. (A/N: I personally like _Bringing Up Baby_ better, but James Stewart is so adorable!) Being an avid Cary Grant fan, she had seen it in New York when it was first released the year before.

"Something you want to see, sweetheart?" Mush asked with a knowing grin. She just giggled and shook her head, taking her hand in his. "Oh come on, I'm man enough to go watch a Cary Grant flick. I don't mind."

"No, Mush, I would much rather spend the evening with you than with Cary Grant."

Kissing the top of her head, he gently whispered, "You'll never be a first class human being or a first class woman until you've learned to have some regard for human frailty." Bridget looked up at him, with wide eyes. He gave her a suave smile. "You know, Katharine Hepburn isn't exactly hard on the eyes either." Leading her to the ticket booth, they spent the next two hours in a happy-ending, Hollywood world.

A few blocks away, Skittery had introduced Iris to the wonder of window shopping. Her look of awe was priceless when he told her that purchasing would not be part of the shopping.

"So we just walk around and look at all of the beautiful things that we won't buy? What's the fun in that?"

"Well, I guess the fun is that we get to spend time together, and maybe if you're good, you'll get a little present at the end of the night."

"You treat me like I'm five. Trying to reward me for good behavior," Iris scoffed. Then with a glance, she added "But please, don't stop." They both sniggered at her playfulness and continued past the different vendors. Coming across one that sold rings, Iris pointed to a small, delicate ring and sadly smiled.

"If I ever get to marry a man of my choice, I hope that he picks something like that for me."

"What do you mean, 'if you get to marry the man of your choice'? Who you marry shouldn't be anyone else's choice but yours and the man's. If you truly love someone you shouldn't be apart."

"You really think that, Danny?" she asked, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"You know I do, Iris."

"Then let's get married. Right now! I love you, and I think that you love me. And with the way the world is right now, who knows if we'll ever get another chance to. I don't want to go through the rest of my life thinking that you could have been the one, but never really knowing."

Skittery remained staring at her in partial disbelief. Although she did have a point about the uncertain future, he could hardly believe that after dating for only two months they were ready for marriage. Then again, she was the only girl that he had ever seriously laid eyes on.

"Iris, I do love you, but I don't know if I am ready to love every part of your life right now. There are some things that I don't even know about you. I need to know you before I can marry you. It's kind of an unwritten law, I think. Besides, wouldn't you want a big beautiful wedding, with bridesmaids and flowers?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so. I guess I just jumped to a conclusion too fast."

"No, you didn't jump too fast, darling. I'm just making sure that we have a parachute to slow our landing down." He gave her a light kiss, before she continued on to the next vendor. Unknown to her, Skittery picked up a little gift for her, on account of her _very_ good behavior

Back at the boys' barracks, Helen and Jack sat on the porch, looking up at the same midnight blue sky. For the past half hour or so they had made light conversation about the trip from New York, and of Jack's latest assignment. Helen couldn't help but want to ask about Sarah, although she knew it was none of her business. She let out an unexpected shiver that caught both her and Jack off guard.

"You cold?" He asked with a raised brow. She nodded with a slight blush. Pulling her closer to him, he wrapped his arm around her, and gave her a smile, saying "There, that's better now." She leaned in to him, feeling more bliss than she had in a very long time.

"You know, when I first met Sarah, she was so finicky about me putting my arm around her. It's kind of funny how opposite you two are. But I think that you would really like her," Jack continued to babble, as Helen blanked him out, feeling slightly guilty about the situation. After a few minutes, she was brought back to reality, with "You know, I shouldn't be saying this, but I think that maybe you're a better listener than Davey. I mean, it's nothing against him. It's just that you're such a good sport about all of this. Helen, when I'm with you, it's like I'm talking to one of the guys."

Sitting up straight, she forced a smile, and turned to look him straight in the eye. "Yeah, well that's what friends are for. Anyway, it's getting late. I'm going to head back. Goodnight, Jack," she said, shaking his hand in an overly masculine way.

"Helen, hold on a second!" She turned to him, obviously annoyed. "Don't leave like that. There's no reason to be angry."

"Well Jack. Maybe you're right. Maybe there's no reason to be angry, because after all, there's nothing here anyway. Tonight you turned down going out with the rest of the gang to spend time alone with me, but then you used this time to talk about this girl back home, who I have never met. You really know how to make a girl feel special when she's with you. I mean, when I'm with you, I don't know if we're left and right. So, Jack, where the hell are we?"

"Well, you're standing there, and I'm standing here. And we're in Hawaii, spending a beautiful evening looking at the stars."

"Don't do this," Helen began, but was quieted by Jack's lips covering hers.

"You know, I was right before. You're much better to talk to than Davey. Not only do you listen to me, but you're much prettier than he is too." He leaned in for another kiss, but before doing so, noticed the stardust in her eyes.


	7. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

A/N: I liked the last chapter for some odd reason. I don't usually like what I write. Anyway! Here's another good one for you! Part of it reminds me of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, and part of it reminds me of the dream sequence from Anastasia. Random, I know! Oh! And by the way- in my profile, I have a list of actresses that I pictured playing the nurses, so maybe you'd like to look at that and I see how I view the characters. Here we go- chapter seven!

Long after the men had turned in for the night Jack found himself staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, with thoughts running rapidly through his head. The moonlight shone through the window, beaming onto a clock that read 2:25 AM. 'Sarah is probably fixing breakfast right about now,' Jack forlornly thought. 'And Les is complaining about not wanting to go to Church, while Mrs. Jacobs is setting the table, and Mr. Jacobs is reading the Sunday morning paper.'

Turning on his side, he looked guiltily out the window. Why had he kissed Helen? Was he cheating on Sarah, or was he moving on? 'Sarah has been my first, and only love until recently.' Did Jack really just think that? Until recently? Since when had he ever considered Helen in a romantic way? True, she was beautiful, smart and funny, but what did she have that made her stand out from the rest of the girls that he had ever been friends with?

Sarah had always meant something to Jack, ever since the day he had been set up on that first blind date with her. That's how they met, he reminisced. He had just turned 17, and was meeting some girl at the roller-rink that was supposedly a real knock-out. He had put his skates on before the date, so that he didn't have to worry about carrying them there. When he reached the rink, there she was, wearing a pink skirt and white sweater. She's gorgeous, he thought. After about an hour or so of skating around and getting to know each other, he suggested they go out for a coke. Of course she agreed, and headed towards the front to return her skates. Sitting down he reached in his pocket for his skate key. Unfortunately, all he found was hole. When she returned, she smiled kindly and took out a hairpin to use as a makeshift key. After that, they became inseparable. He was welcomed into her family with open arms, and he was positive that if his mother were still alive, she would have loved Sarah just as much. It was these last thoughts that lulled Jack to sleep. Not a concern of Helen in his head or heart, just his Sarah back home in New York.

Unknown to Jack, he was not the only one of his friends that was having trouble sleeping. Crutchy paced back and forth outside of the girls' home, with pebbles in his hand. Not knowing whether it really worked, like in the movies, he threw the small stones at a window, and quickly ducked beside the girls' deck. He heard a door swing open and stood up seeing Elizabeth wearing a silky robe, over her nightgown.

"Elizabeth!" he whispered. "Over here!" She ran over to where he was, and smiled down at him, leaning over the banister.

"What are you doing up so late?" she giggled. "You're going to get us both in big trouble!"

"I couldn't sleep. I kept having these thoughts about you. So I figured, if you're making me not able to sleep, I might as well come over here to make sure you're just as awake as me," he smiled, standing on his toes to give her a light peck on the lips.

A light flicked on, inside, startling the couple. "Let me make sure it's not Grace. I still hear snoring, so I think we're safe, but just in case I'll be right back!" Elizabeth ran inside, while Crutchy looked up at the early morning sky. It was times like this that he felt as if he and Elizabeth were the only ones in the world. Nothing else mattered. Not their friends, not their jobs, not even the war. Who'd have thought that at the beginning of November, at 3 o'clock in the morning, the weather would be so beautiful? As soon as October came, it got bitterly cold at night in Manhattan, where he was originally from. His thoughts were interrupted when he once again heard the door creak open.

"Is everything okay?" he whispered. She nodded yes, with a smile, and returned to where she was previously standing.

"It was only Claire, and she won't tell on us. Do you want to come up and sit?"

"Nah, I'm comfortable down here. Do you want to come down here and stand?"

"No, I'm fine up here, thanks," she nervously giggled. It probably wasn't a good idea to be too close to him anyway. What would anyone think if they saw the two of them at three in the morning together?

"So Crutchy, what would you have done if I wasn't the nurse that came out here when you threw those pebbles? There's more than one person living here you know."

"That's easy. I would have pretended that I had been sleepwalking!"

"Sleepwalking? All the way from your room to our deck? You must have a good sense of direction when you're asleep."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"That's funny though, because you certainly don't have a good sense of direction when you're awake."

"That's not true."

"Crutchy, you stumble over your own feet."

"That's clumsiness, not sense of direction. Do not get the two confused." He remarked with a large grin.

"You're cute, you know that?" she said, playfully patting his head.

"You're not too bad yourself," he replied, taking her hand in his and giving it a small kiss. "However, I think its time that you head back to bed. We have church in the morning, and I'll see you there."

Elizabeth leaned down for a decent kiss goodnight, and was on her way back to her bed. Crutchy on the other hand dawdled on his way back to the barracks, enjoying the night air.

In her bed, Audrey slept peacefully, dreaming of a wonderful life. (A/N: It might get confusing, but from now on it's her dream.)

It was the beginning of a beautiful day. Audrey was outside on her porch, enjoying the serenity. From inside she heard a little voice crying "Momma" and her smiled widened. She was a mother, to a beautiful little boy. Retrieving the child, she returned outside, holding him on her hip, and looking at the clouds. Her husband would return any moment with a morning paper, and they would sit in their kitchen enjoying a perfect breakfast that Audrey had prepared. It was the life she had always dreamed of having.

When she saw their truck pull up by the house, she let her son down, so that he could greet his father. The man lifted the boy, played "airplane" for a moment, and then walked up to his wife. His piercing blue eyes met her deep brown pair. After spending years with her, he still got lost in those eyes.

"Good morning dear," he said in a personal manner.

"Good morning," she replied, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"How are you feeling today? Have you felt sick anymore?" She shook her head no, and they both smiled at each other knowingly.

"Mommy, are you sick? We should give you the thermometer," their son interrupted, in a slightly confused way.

"No darling, it's not that kind of sick. Mommy is sick for a good reason. You'll know why, in time," she smiled at her little boy.

Then, in a split second, it all melted away. The sky turned gray, and the wind grew strong. The boy began to cry, as she and her husband looked to the sky. There were planes everywhere, flying too close to the ground. Gunshots were being fired in every direction, and it seemed as if the whole world had been turned upside down. Everything was on fire, and all Audrey saw was blood. She felt empty. Her son was gone, her house was gone. And worst of all, Spot Conlon was gone.

Audrey jolted up in bed, beads of sweat forming furiously over her brow. Breathing heavily she kept reminding herself that it was just a dream. But for some strange reason, it was all so real to her.


	8. Misty

A/N: It's spring break! Yay! This chapter is kind of short, but I think that Spot fans are definitely going to enjoy it. So whether you're a Spot fan or not, keep reviewing! I love to hear what you all think!

Weeks quickly passed, and December had arrived. The upcoming holiday was enough to bring excitement to the group of aviators and nurses. Our characters found themselves in a peaceful haze, as if all was right in the world. However, Audrey found herself in a different haze than the others.

Night after night, Audrey's nightmares continued to haunt her. During the day she found herself spending more and more time with Spot Conlon. Of course, she didn't mind his company. He was her main source of comfort these days. He kept her on her toes, and she kept him out of trouble. It was how they functioned.

As the two grew closer, the urge to tell Spot about her dreams became more urgent. Looking for the perfect opportunity to do so, Audrey went to visit him one Saturday afternoon, when she knew the others would be with their girlfriends. Tentatively knocking on his door, she had never felt so nervous in her life. When he answered, she could tell from his disheveled hair that she had woken him from a nap.

"Hello," she quietly greeted him. He motioned for her to come inside, and she timidly entered his sleeping quarters. Looking around the room, she realized that she had never actually been inside the boys' barrack. It was just as she had imagined it, with beds lined up on either side of the room, each perfectly made except for Spot's that had just been slept in.

"You okay?" he finally asked her, after a moment of silence. Avoiding eye contact, she shook her head "no," and sat down. "Something's wrong" he continued. "You've been acting like this for weeks now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, when I used to tease you, you'd always throw a great comeback at me. Now, it's like you're not even paying attention half of the time. What's wrong, kid?"

"We're friends, right?" She asked, looking into his eyes for the first time that day. Sensing a serious conversation, Spot sat down across from her, bracing himself for the worst.

"You can tell me anything," he replied, sitting himself across from her.

"I've been having these crazy dreams lately…" her voice drifted off, as if she didn't know how to continue what she wanted to say. After taking a deep breath she continued, "It's awful. I mean, really awful. My world is completely destroyed in it. Everything that I could ever love just disappears, and I'm left feeling completely empty. And when I wake up, the feeling doesn't go away, Spot. It doesn't go away until later in the morning when I have breakfast with you, or when I see you doing your morning drills, or if you come to visit the clinic with Mush. Spot, I'm empty when you're gone."

Handing her his handkerchief, to wipe away the tears that were now forming in her eyes, he nervously bit his lip, thinking to himself about how their friendship could have become like this. Sure, he had liked her, from the moment she stuck that cursed needle in his bottom; however, he had never thought it would have developed into this. This was more than giving the eye to a cute nurse, or having a crush on a female friend. What he felt for Audrey was deep. It was the word that he never dared to say before.

Drying her eyes, Audrey found the silence between the two unbearable. Standing up, she began to walk towards the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I should have…"

"Told me sooner," Spot interrupted, slowly walking towards her. Holding out his arms, she enveloped herself into an embrace that had never felt warmer and more comforting. Lowering his lips to hers, their first kiss was filled with tenderness, later developing into passion and desire.

"I'm here, Audrey. I'll always be here," he whispered into her hair. Locking the door, behind them, he guided her to where he once laid alone; assuring her that he would never leave her.

Hours later, lying together and staring at the ceiling, thoughts ran wildly through the couple's heads. "I love you," Audrey suddenly whispered. He looked at her, with a small smile on his lips.

"Audrey? What was your dream?" he asked. She shook her, telling him that it wasn't important anymore. Getting out of bed, he began to dress, while she stared in bewilderment, clutching his sheet to her naked form. Looking at her, he softly chuckled. "Isn't it a little late for modesty?" She frowned, and began to put her clothing on in a hurried manner. Seeing that she had become annoyed with his remark, he walked to her side, and took her in his arms.

"I love you too," he finally stated.

"It's getting late," Audrey said, continuing to dress. "The boys will probably be getting back soon, and I still need to go take inventory at the hospital. Grace will throw a fit if I don't check it at least three times when I record it," she smiled sweetly at him.

"You know, you're very pretty when you're like this."

"What? Half dressed?" she giggled.

"No; when you're yourself." He then gave her a swift kiss, and finished buttoning his shirt, before smoothing back his tousled hair.

Walking home from the hospital that night, Audrey hummed softly to herself, thinking of nothing in particular. Looking towards the sky, she knew that starting tomorrow her life would be changed forever. Her nightmares would disappear, and she would finally be happy. If only she knew what the future really held…


End file.
